Casablanca
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Casablanca is a 1942 romance film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid. It drew a wide audience and shaped its genre.
Plot
In December 1941, American expatriate Rick Blaine owns a nightclub and gambling den in Casablanca, then in French Morocco. "Rick's Café Américain" attracts a varied clientele, including Vichy French and German officials, refugees desperate to reach the still-neutral United States, and those who prey on them. Although Rick professes to be neutral in all matters, he ran guns to Ethiopia in 1935 and fought on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. Petty crook Ugarte boasts to Rick of letters of transit obtained by murdering two German couriers. The papers allow the bearers to travel freely around German-occupied Europe and to neutral Portugal.
Production
Written by Philip G. Epstein and Julius J. Epstein, the film was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures. Max Steiner composed the score. Arthur Edeson handled the cinematography. The film runs 102 minutes. The crew and editing refined every shot.
Reception
On a budget of $878,000, Casablanca grossed $10,462,500 worldwide at the box office. A critic consensus praised its screenplay and score.
Legacy
Its legacy endures through a remake, a sequel and a lasting franchise; later cinema cites its influence and symbolism.
See also
References
- "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". topfilms100. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ebert, Roger. The Great Movies. Broadway Books.
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